16 Channel Summing Mixer
Features
- 16 Mono Inputs with volume and pan pots (2x dB25)
- 1 Stereo Input (2x bal. jack) with fixed unity gain, typically used for cascading additional OTB’s
- 8 Stereo link buttons to control volume of a stereo input with just one pot
- Master pot
- 2 independent pairs of Stereo Out (4x XLR), one with output transformer, one without
excl. shipping
General
The Tonelux OTB16 is about sound first and foremost.
In our opinion it’s the one summing mixer out there with perfect balance of colourisation and integrity of sound.
It will smoothen transients, create rounder and tighter lowend, add lots of 3D imaging, but wont put too much of a sonic stamp onto the mix bus. You won’t get any of that “damn, all my mixes sound the same”.
We regard the OTB16 to be the “one size fits all” summing mixer out there.
Its features are simple, typically you would calibrate the unit once and then hardly ever touch it again.
Particularly fast transients as well as 3D imaging will improve considerably as compared to ITB (“in the box”) mixes.
Please note:
When testing the OTB16 – as well as any other summing mixer out there – we recommend to never just using an existing former ITB Mix and routing it to the 16 input channels.
If you truly want to explore the sound of a summing mixer you need to mix into that unit, i.e. monitor through the units summing stage from the very beginning of a mixdown.
In doing so, chances are you won’t be de-essing as much as mixing ITB.
You sure won’t nudge out as many resonating high mid frequences.
Some individual signals you might compress less than you would ITB, particularly when trying to create a tight low end.
Now by taking it a bit easier on all these issues chances are you will end up with considerably better phase linearity and overall clearness and retain more of the original character of an individual sound.
The mixes will become more lively and dynamic with way improved 3D imaging.
Last not least, you will find it lots easier to bringing your mixes to the standard loudness level when mastering, at the same the process of limiting will produce less of those ugly artefacts – and no, you won’t be losing that vital snare attack no more…
So what’s the snare got to do with it?
It’s all to do with the transients.
Read on.
Hints & Tips
The OTB16 has two very different pairs of stereo outs.
The “MIX OUT” is controlled by a master pot and runs through the TX-100 output transformer, adding the unique Tonelux sound flavour, whereas the “MON OUT” bypasses both the master pot and the TX-100 resulting in a purer and lesser coloured sound.
It may well be down to your choice of master bus compressor which output will suit your needs better.
In any way, the OTB16 comes with two very different sound characteristics built in and so we therefor do recommend wiring both outputs to your patchbay.
Anything acoustic or rock or live instruments will love the MIX OUT’s TX-100 sound, but then if you are working on an into-your-face-four-on-the-floor-electronic-dance-track the colder and purer MON OUT might work better for you.
The other use for the separate sounding outputs is this:
When cascading two OTB16’s for a total of 32 input channels you would typically run the MON OUT (non tranformer) of the first OTB into input channels 17-18 of the second OTB, using the MIX OUT (with transformer and master pot) of the second OTB as your main stereo output.
Hence you get a full blown 32 channel mixer with one of the world’s best sounding summing stages – for a staggering € 2100,-
I told Paul it’s too cheap.